KEY things to know to MASTER London transport in 2026
Video Overview & Insights
If you learn just a few things about London's public transportation system before your first trip to London, these are the KEY ones you need to know if you want to have a somewhat easy London transport experience that doesn't end up in fines, wasted time, or major headaches. The most important things to know when using London red buses, the Underground, trains for day trips from London, and more.
Contactless card is an amazing tool to use for London transit system. However, for tourists who are there for a day or just multiple days, I think, oystercards are good addition. The deposit or unspent balance is refundable at tfl centers. Am I correct?
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Very interesting ❤
Skip around the video:
00:30 - Key transport tip 1
Thanks for your sharing. God bless you.
1:47 - Key transport tip 2
2:31 - Key transport tip 3
For travelling with a kid under 11 years, the bus and tube is free? Do we need to pass through the gate together in tube station?
3:02 - Key transport tip 4
5:47 - Key transport tip 5
thanks madam
6:41 - Key transport tip 6
8:03 - Key transport tip 7
@loveandlondon any tips on using eSIM on phones that are carrier locked?
10:34 - Key transport tip 8
11:44 - Key transport tip 9
We took the Elizabeth line from Heathrow to Angel Station. My discover card did not work in the tube, but my visa did.
Jess's videos were some of my favorite preparing for my trip to London, and her information proved to be accurate! She also helped us keep cost down! Thank you so much!
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On the tube, how do you pay for more than one person? I will be travelling with my 7 year old grandson and he doesn't have his own applepay or credit card to tap in/out.
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Another thing to add for the tourists.
When you’re taking the tubes and you run into those ultimate bottlenecks either going on or off the escalators when transferring between trains, step back and allow the locals to get on the escalator and reach their destination.
You’re in London and you’re on vacation, you’re already winning at life, you don’t need to win the Battle of the Bulge and push your way onto the escalator. The proper thing to do is take a step back and let the people that live there get on so they can go about their day getting to work, home or their next train.
You don’t need to be first in line to get to a museum, hit a pub or wander around Central London. Who knows? The person you let go first could be your server that is rushing to get to the restaurant on time to give you excellent service.
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If you go to the theater at 730pm after the show should I take the bus or a taxi. I recently change hotel i will be in waterloo. Ty
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Apparently I have the London Underground map the entire map of the London transport map in my head
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I have an oyster card and it auto tops up at £20 which is really handy. The reason I have an oyster card is because a) I have a disabled rail card and b) the contactless on my bank card sometimes fails and I don't want to rely on that (I went to comic con last October and my card decided to stop working for that whole day, so I was very glad I was relying on oyster and not contactless because otherwise I'd have been stuck XD)
About Love and London:
This channel is a London travel guide for anyone visiting the city that wants to experience it like you live here. Beyond talking about the usual London attractions, our founder Jessica Dante and our team show you some of the cooler things to do in London, that most travel guides don't mention. Watch our videos and you'll feel like you've got a Londoner friend telling you the best kept secrets in the city.
We sat next to you on the tube about an hour ago on our way to Chinatown. We got off way to early. My girls we very excited.
More User Perspectives
I have to say, I am guilty... :) I used the day tickets by my the first London trip in June 2024. The reason was that I was the one adult with 2 children and only I had a card in mobile. And I did not know how would to do it to tap mobile for all of us in ticket barrier. This year I would like to go to London again, I will see how it will be on the base of who will go with me.
@jirisvec9123Another thing we were almost burned by is Google maps will drain your battery very quickly. Nothing more unnerving than being down to less than 10% battery on your phone and that’s the way you tapped in and tapped out for tube rides.
Dead phone, no more map app, you can’t tap out of the station, you might get lost because you don’t know where you’re going. And when you do leave the tube, you have to use a physical credit card and you get charged through the roof for two different payments at full price. Bring a charger when you go out!
On foot is the way to do it if you are able. I walked the 8 mile journey from Paddington to the Wimbledon lawn and tennis club and saw about 10 centuries worth of architecture, a dozen different cultures and demographics and tons of mom and pop shops to browse through.
And London has been one of my favorite cities to walk through!
If you’re really want to get into the patina of a city, walk!
8:10 only time when you should get a travel card is when travelling from outside London by train, you can add one for a relatively cheap price on top of your ticket compared to daily caps
@Gjyfbkjfsk123As frequent visitors to London we take all of your advice for granted Jess, but it is vital and excellent advice especially for new visitors to London, whether from the UK or worldwide. It is refreshing to hear your guidance as new or longer term visitors - thank you 😊
@Nick-13Be careful using the DLR, especially exiting it, because it doesn't have ticket gates and so if your journey started on a gated tube line (which is all lines except the DLR) and then ends on the DLR, it is easy to forget to touch out because there are no exit/entrance gates. You have to tap your card/payment method on the readers that sit to the side of the exits. It's the easiest way to get a full-fare charge for failing to tap out.
@ianburton6071I’ll be going to London this week
@jervismolejona4311I just use my bus pass in May and the tube in June last year
@bentairyukibaNight tube also covers the Overground (Windrush Line) from Highbury and Islington to New Cross Gate. Which is a godsend, as there is nothing worse than being stuck in Southeast London gone midnight on a Friday or Saturday! 😂
@joex2004ukBrilliant amazing utuber always on utube who helps us out with our travelling to london have a wonderfull day always
@StephenRobertdDon’t Visit LONDANASTAN you will regret it.. It’s a CESSPIT OF CRIME . It’s a Total SHI7 hole .. The worst City i have ever been to and Ive been to Beirut in Lebanon.. So thats really saying something. The best part of my trip was leaving.
@daidavies6210Great info!! Very complete. I´ll be in London for the second time in 50 days :) Can´t wait
@CristianMR-1983I need to know:
If i come from Brighton with Thameslink, can i stop at Blackfriars AND Farringdon with the only one ticket or do i need to go out at St Pancras and go back again ?
How did it work to tap in and tap out at the dlr?
@michael261189Another great video, Jess! So Lyft isn't a thing in the UK?
@The_Mace💕✈️
@jennawoodard8386Harry Beck's design of the London Underground map is widely regarded as a masterpiece of information design, transforming a complex, geographically accurate map into a simple, iconic diagram.
@FuneemanYou’re gorgeous Jess! ❤.
@StevenTobin-m2dHi Jess. I know that in London they always accept payment by card. Is that the same in other areas? I am planning to travel to Cornwall and the villages there are usually quite small.
@stefaniamondelli6977Advice for when you're ready to get off your bus/tube. Take note of the stop that is one stop prior to yours. When you get to that stop, you know it's time to gather your stuff, be ready to exit and it'll save that BOLT up from your seat when you realise you're at your stop.
@cijmoDoesn't hurt to check the TfL website for route closures, delays, congestion etc. Would have saved me a lot of time last Saturday when the District and Bakerloo lines were down.
@djm58skAnd … black cabs are just, hands down, much cooler than an Uber. You’re in London for Christ’s sake - do it right!
@ericvanvlandren8987Random and pointless bit of trivia: Stephen Fry bought a black taxi just so he could skip traffic in London. Afaik he hasn't passed The Knowledge. This ends my two cents of contribution.
@hughtube5154We love all your videos and your itinerary is so helpful!
Do you need to press the button on the tube door to open the doors?
Actually Manchester and London have similar town textures both is is nice to visit
@ZachariahChandJess is always a good watch to help me prepare for my trip.
@ValidescopeWest8:00
Some buses 24 hours. The bus stops will tell you which. Also buses prefixed with "N" are night buses that run night only. They're usually, but not always, an extension to the day equivalent.
Listen to Jess, she knows what she is talking about! I learned quite a lot from her through the years and I only watched this because I like seeing Jess and London sites. I will be in London for the13th time so I feel comfortable and knowledgeable around the area. Jess you are right, I used Sim Local on my last trip for the first time and the service was great and so useful when I had to make emergency calls to the states. I will use Sim Local again in May ! Thanks Jess for all you do !!!
@howcotubeGoing to London again this spring. My wife and I are going to book one of the walking tours (probably pub tour) Jess has talked about in other recent videos. Look forward to it. Such a beautiful city.
@DixonYorbuttOther tips:
If you tap out with the wrong card, speak to a member of staff and they will let you back in, to tap out with the right card. I also suggest adding your contactless card/oystercard to the TfL website to see your journey history and also allows you to get refunds for incomplete trips or delays to tube journey.
Children aged 11 or over and adults will need their own card each, you can't tap the same card more than once. Travelling with children under 10, use the wide isle gates.
Jess I did notice that when you were talking about your phone Sim that you seem to be using your phone in a way that could be a target for a phone snatch. As you know tourists can be wrapped up in the moment and be oblivious to danger.
@mariospacagna2132Reppin the Amex cards, I see. As an employee...Thanks!
@kolrisingEither way, there will be a strike, labor action, or line outage which will ruin your trip somewhere along your route… believe me.
@ljr869I will be in London in May 2026, this video is really helpful. Thank you! 😊
@rakshitbakshi411We visited London (from Australia) last August and LOVED it. We used the hop on/ hop off bus tours to orientate ourselves to the city (yeah I know... total tourist cliche but cheap and convenient) and then used the tube to get ourselves around. The only drama we had was some stations had no lifts which SUCKED when you have luggage. Didn't happen often but it did happen. Bags on escalators are not safe. Love you London.
@planktonauI've been watching how to master the London Underground at YouTube since the days since 2018 and it's helped me so much! I've even studied how to get around London like how to get that place to others too! Can't wait to come back home soon!!! ❤
@FalcomScott312You know about the bakerloo line?
@LarryBland-t6s